Eel-trap.



- PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

J. H. SELL MAN.

BEL TRAP.

APPLIGATION FILED nov.2v,1907.

atkom wq opening.

JOHN H. SELLMAN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BEL-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21,- 1908.

I Application filed November 27, 1907. Serial No. 404,163.

that have entered it, until such time as they may be liberated by thetrapper.

Another objectofthe invention. is to provide a trap so constructed astoprevent the abstracting from the outside of bait placed within thetrap. X

A further object of the invention is to provide a trap which shall.facilitate the luring of the eels'to and through an ingress Ancillaryobj ects will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying. drawing, which illustrates my invention, Figure lis a side-elevation of an eel. trap; Fig. 2 is a central longitudinalsection of the same, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged section of the trap takenin a central longitudinal plane, showing a portion of the body of thetrap, a portionjof a removable head and a catch for securing the headand body together, this view serving to illustrate the relations of theparts referred to.

Referring to the drawings, the trap therein shown comprises a bodyportion A and heads B and C, the body and heads forming the inclosingwalls of a chamber within which the eels are entrapped. The trap asshown is provided with two ingress openings, D and E. About theingress'opening D is secured one end of a flexible sleeve F, the otherend of the sleeve being free, and in a similar manner one end of theflexible sleeve Gris secured about the opening E.

In the body are perforations 1. These perforations may be formed byunching when the sheet is flat and before it is formed into the trapbody. The punching of the sheet results in the formation of burs 2 aboutthe perforations and in forming the body the metal is so disposed thatthese burs are upon the exterior of the trap.

The heads B and O are preferably funnel forms a part thereof.

prongs 9 about't shaped as shown so as to guide the eel to the ingressopening D. or as the case maybe. Each of theheads is preferably formedof sheet metal having perforations punched therein in a manner similarto that described in connection with thebody of the trap. Informingthese heads the metal is sodispos'ed that the burs about theperforations are upon the inside thereof, that is the'burs are .on theinterior of the trap when it is assembled, thus about the perforations 3of the head B are the burs 4-upon the inside of that head,-and similarlyaboutthe perforations 5 ofthe head Q are the burs 6 which are upon theinside of the latter head.

The flexible sleeves Fand G are. respectively secured about the ingressopenings and E whichare respectively located at the a ices of the funnelshaped heads'B and C. These flexible sleeves maybeof canvas or othersuitable material. The sleeve F is secured to the head by means ofprongs 7 struck up fromthe metal of the head and engaging with thesleeve and a wire 8 which securely binds the end of the sleeve againstthe head; and into engagement with the prongs 7. .About the opening Bare prongs 9 whichproject toward the interiorof the trap chamber andtoward the center ofthe ingress opening. In the drawing the prongs 9 and7 are shown as formed on a pieceseparate from the headB. This piece is,however, soldered to that head and so virtually In asimilar manner theflexible sleeve G is secured to the head C and rongs 10 are providedabout the opening' which plrongs are similar to the e opening D.

To afford access to the interior of the trap to place bait therein,remove eels therefrom or for other reasons, one or more of the heads maybe made removable. Ordinarily it is sufflcient if one head is maderemovable. the drawing the head B is illustrated as the removable oneand spring catches 11 are provided for securing this head in positionagainst the trap bod It is to be observed that the rim 12 of the head Boverlaps the edge 13 of the trap body. This has the effect of securingthe head against the trap body so as to prevent any material openingtherebetween even though one or more of the spring catches should bedisengaged, which might occur by reason of the contact of the tra withthe bed of a body of water within whic ii is placed, or by reason ofcontact with other t ings.

The body of the trap may be provided with links or rings 14 to which arope or chain may be secured for raising or lowering the trap. I

In using the trap as shown in the drawings, the head B is removed andbait placed within the interior of the trap body. The head is thenreplaced and secured by the catches 1 1 and the trap is lowered into aposition where it is liable to be found by eels. It has been found thatin traps constructed with wire and which are not provided with means toprevent it, the eel is apt to abstract the bait from the interior of thetrap through the perforations or openings in its walls and consequentlywill not enter the trap. With the trap just described, however, if aneel is attracted by the bait and attempts to abstract it through theperforations, he comes against the sharp burs hereinbefore referred toand quickly abandons his efforts in this direction and seeks for othermeans of access. Of course, the function of the burs could beaccomplished by other sharp or pointed projections about theperforations and which might be formed in ways other than thatdescribed. The consideration just referred to is an important one foreels seem to have a peculiar adeptness in abstracting bait in the mannerdescribed, and fishermen often find their traps denuded of bait and noeels in them. Upon entering the funnel B or C the eel is not met by anyof the sharp projections as are found upon the exterior of the body ofthe trap and, not being thus repelled, he is guided to the opening D orE and into the flexible sleeve secured thereabout. After having passedbeyond the prongs 7 or 10 as the case may be, an attempt, on his part,to back out will result in his being pricked by said projections, whenhe will again start forward, usually with high speed and, traversing thesleeve, will arrive within the trap chamber. After the passing of theeel, the sleeve collapses and the chances of an eel finding the free endof the sleeve and then traversing the sleeve to the outside .of the trapare so small as to be negligible. It will thus be seen that the sleeveis a reliable means for preventing egress from the trap While it readilypermits ingress thereto.

While the invention has, in accordance with the patent statutes, beenillustrated in what is considered itsbest application, it may beembodied in other structures without departing from its spirit. It isnot therefore limited to the structure shown.

What I claim is,

1. In an eel trap, the combination with the inclosing walls of a chamberhaving an ingress opening, of a flexible sleeve secured at one end aboutsaid opening, the other end of said sleeve being free, and prongs aboutsaid opening, said prongs projecting toward the interior of said chamberand toward the center of said opening.

2. In an eel trap, the combination with a body, of a funnel shaped headsecured thereto, having an opening at its apex, and a flexible sleevesecured at one end about said opening, the other end of said sleevebeing free.

3. In an eel trap, the combination of a perforated body having sharpprojections upon its exterior, and means for permitting ingress to butpreventing egress from the interior of said body.

4. In an eel trap, the combination of a body of sheet metal havingperforations punched therein, the burs about said perforations beingupon the exterior of said body,

. and means for permitting ingress to but preventing egress from saidbody.

5. In an eel trap, the combination of a body of sheet metal havingperforations punched therein, the burs about said per forations beingupon the exterior of said body, and a funnel shaped head having aningress opening at its apex, said head being of sheet metal havingpunched perforations, the

burs about the perforations in said head being upon the interiorthereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. SELLMAN. Witnesses:

ALMA L. CARR, FRANCIS E. PEGRAM.

